2013 A Growth Year For Magazine Media Across Platforms

2013 A Growth Year For Magazine Media Across Platforms


January 9, 2014

2013 A GROWTH YEAR FOR MAGAZINE MEDIA ACROSS PLATFORMS

New York, NY (January 9, 2014) - The final numbers for 2013 indicate it was a growth year for magazine media across platforms. The preliminary 2013 results, reported by MPA- The Association of Magazine Media on December 30, 2013, have now been corroborated by the year-end magazine print ad page and iPad magazine edition unit results. An exclusive analysis conducted by MPA, using Kantar Media’s PIB data for magazine ad pages and their tablet edition ad unit data base, shows a 5% increase in the magazine media advertising “footprint” of print pages and tablet units.

For the full year 2013, tablet magazine advertising units increased 16% with print pages essentially flat at -0.2%. The total footprint of print pages and tablet edition units’ healthy 5% increase reflects a marked uptick. This data*, which analyzed the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print ad page and iPad unit advertising, affirms that 2013 was a successful year, with magazine media strongly resonating with consumers and advertisers.

Mary G. Berner, MPA’s president and CEO noted, “It’s gratifying to see these positive trends in magazine media. We look forward to lots of good news in the year ahead.”

A look at all PIB-measured magazines for print versions only reveals print ad revenue of $19.7 billion dollars, a 1% increase for 2013 over 2012. Print ad pages were slightly down (-4%) for the full year, however, it is important to note that this is an improvement over 2012 YTD, which showed an 8% decline in ad pages and ad revenue loss of 3% versus the prior year. Analyzing print magazines with full year information for both periods, a more accurate picture emerges. Print magazines’ full year data for both periods shows ad revenue climbed 3%, with ad pages flat at -0.7%.**

Print category gainers for 2013 include: “Food and Food Products” up in revenue (+6.7%) and up in pages (+1.2%), “Drugs and Remedies” up in revenue (+6.0%) and up in pages (+2.1%), “Home Furnishings and Supplies” up in revenue (+5.6%) and up in pages (+1.9%) and “Toiletries and Cosmetics” up in revenue (+5.5%) and up in pages (+1.2%).

The positive advertising trend was also supported by SMI Dataminer which reports agency spending on print magazines was up 9% through November 2013 – more than television (3%), newspapers (3%), radio (2%) and out-of-home (2%).

Additionally, the latest Fall MRI 2013 release shows print audiences up 1% and magazine media (print plus tablet) up 2% versus the Fall MRI 2012 study, with 5% growth among 18-24-year-olds. Tablet edition audiences increased an impressive 49% during the same time period. Circulation data also shows dramatic tablet edition increases, with the AAM reporting 85% growth for digital magazine editions in the first half of 2013 versus the first half of last year.

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* Jan.-Dec. 2013 versus 2012. Tablet ad units are based on a study conducted by PIB using data collected by Kantar Media of the 69 magazine media titles that measure both print and iPad advertising.

**Note: An “apples-to-apples” comparison of 2013 versus 2012 will exclude publications with partial information for either year.
- See more at: http://www.magazine.org/industry-news/press-releases/mpa-press-releases/mpa/2013-growth-year-magazine-media-across-platforms#sthash.Z9kk0tjp.wpiss6so.dpuf